New BMV chief won't tread lightly despite predecessor's woes

November 05, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Â? Ron Stiver has no intention of treading lightly as commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles despite the unpopularity of his predecessor.

Joel Silverman, probably the most polarizing agency head appointed by the Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, resigned last month. He drew criticism for closing more than 20 license branches last year and for a computer overhaul this summer that resulted in weeks of problems and hours-long waits at some license branches.

Stiver, who formerly headed the Department of Workforce Development, said he won't be timid about making changes in the agency.

"The pace of reform of this administration will not slow down," Stiver told The Indianapolis Star for a Sunday story.

Stiver said it was too early to say what specific reforms he might initiate at the BMV. His first step was traveling to license branches to harvest suggestions from employees and customers. One of his early goals was to boost morale among the agency's 2,200 workers.

Stiver, a former Eli Lilly and Co. executive, made his mark on the Department of Workforce Development as head of that agency.

The agency centralized its claims adjudication process last year, cutting some jobs as part of the effort to improve the system's overall efficiency. While the move saved money, it also caused a backlog of claims, leaving some people without unemployment checks for a month or more.

Stiver said the delays were quickly corrected.

But some officials remained wary of his appointment to the BMV.

"If he runs the BMV the same way he ran Workforce Development, we'll have to wait for months for license plates," state Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, said last month.